September 2009 - Drugs and driving

The 'drink-drugs' national campaign was launched in August, with a new TV advert, campaign posters, information leaflet and website. 

Did you know young people are more than twice as likely to be in a car driven by a drug impaired driver than by a drink driver?  

22% ?

More that one fifth of those who are killed in UK road accidents have taken illegal drugs and there is increasing evidence that drugs might be a contributory factor in death crashes. A survey in Scotland suggested that 81% of 'clubbers' had driven after taking drugs, the main age group being between 20 and 24. The frightening thing is that many of those surveyed believed that some drugs actually improved their driving skills!

Legally driving under the influence of drugs is on a par with drink-driving. On conviction drug-drivers can expect a minimum one-year driving ban and a fine of up to ?5000 or up to six months in jail.

Police detection of drugs is improving all the time but unlike drink driving there is not yet a roadside testing device that can detect the wide range of drugs that drivers may have taken. Police forces are adopting the 'field impairment tests' that are used for drink drivers in the USA ? suspects may be asked to touch their nose with their index finger or walk in a straight line. If the police suspect drug use the driver can be taken to the police station for blood or urine tests. As with alcohol, refusal to take the test will lead to prosecution.

On the continent France and Germany have a zero tolerance approach to driving and drugs; driving does not have to be impaired, simply having illegal drugs in your system when driving is an offence ? roadside saliva tests are used to check for the presence of drugs.

Impairment

The impairment effect of drugs can be hard to quantify as it varies from person to person and the type of drugs taken; sometimes people take 'cocktails' of drugs or mix drugs with alcohol making the effects of individual drugs harder to ascertain; however, the information below explains the effect that some drugs have.

Ecstasy: This drug can lead to over confidence causing people to take dangerous risks behind the wheel. It can also cause the user to hallucinate, distorting vision and hearing and reducing the ability to concentrate.

Amphetamines: Often referred to as 'speed' amphetamines can lead to panic attacks, anxiety and a loss of co-ordination. These effects might also be couples with heightened alertness and a false sense of confidence.

Cannabis: There is a perception amongst some people that cannabis is safer than alcohol when it comes to driving and that it can even reduce the incidence of road rage, but in reality smoking just one 'joint' can, according to some experts, impair driving as much as four pints of beer. The effects of cannabis include paranoia, drowsiness, lack of concentration, disorientation and distorted perception.

It's estimated that every year over 800,000 people drive in the UK while under the influence of cannabis. In a study by the Transport Research Laboratory, people who drove a car at 66 miles per hour had a stopping distance of around 270ft, but after smoking a joint this increased on average by 15% to 310ft. In a slalom test, those who had just smoked a joint knocked over 30% more cones.

Cocaine: This is a psycho-stimulant that can lead to misjudging driving speed and stopping distances. It can also cause a distorted sense of light and sound and a feeling of overconfidence, which can lead to aggressive and erratic driving. While it can make drivers feel highly alert soon after being taken, the effects wear off quickly, leading to an increased danger of falling asleep at the wheel.

Hallucinogenic drugs: Drugs like, LSD, magic mushrooms and ketamine can strongly affect the senses, so drivers may react to objects or sounds that aren't there. Coordination skills are likely to be greatly affected, there may be anxiety, blurred vision and a sense of detachment from reality.

But it's not only illegal drugs that cause problems. Prescription medicines can also be very dangerous when driving. The rule here has to be 'always read the label or ask a doctor or pharmacist'. At this time of year (summer) antihistamines used in hay fever remedies may cause drowsiness and reduce reaction times. Anti-depressants and tranquillisers are also potentially risky. Some 'over the counter' remedies such as those taken for colds and flu can also have unwanted effects.

Visit the Think! Drug driving website here...

Safe motoring,

Mark Born ADI